Author Topic: The DR650 thread (Read 139716 times)

jenks · « **Reply #20 on:** December 05, 2008, 11:48:58 am »

Quote from: BliknÃªrs on November 20, 2008, 04:00:28 pm

To thank my brilliant DR for the km's of great riding it's given me, I have compiled the following list for people looking for DR information.
Workshop manual is here :

Hey Blikners

Here's another nice little page by a yank who farkled his dr beyond description!

http://mistyoak.org/dr650/dr650-index.html

Bliknêrs · « **Reply #21 on:** December 06, 2008, 10:38:15 pm »

Thanks, updated the list on top.
Hows the bash plate projecy coming on?
I started making one but didn't get past the cardboard stage yet!

jenks · « **Reply #22 on:** December 08, 2008, 12:19:34 pm »

Quote from: BliknÃªrs on December 06, 2008, 10:38:15 pm

Thanks, updated the list on top.
Hows the bash plate projecy coming on?
I started making one but didn't get past the cardboard stage yet!

Howzit Blik

Check the pooratech thread - pics. It's pretty ugs right now - but once I've finished and cleaned the welds it should be real perdy!!

I spent half of Sat and half of Sun on it. Paid R100 for some offcuts (total ripoff) and about R500 on paint, sponge rollers, ss nuts etc.

My welding is letting me down badly - really frustrating because the heating and bending - even on the compound curves went really well! I burned through about three times.

Fugsakes!

I didn't use a cardboard mock-up. Just went straight to measuring and building. A mock-up IMO just wastes time. I'm more the 'make it up as he goes along' kinda oke. The gas blowtorch from Mica works quite well - but plenty up and downing to get it really hot before the bend.

BTW - I think the offcuts are one point two mil mild steel. It's pretty strong -especially with the welding joining the curves on the ears (the sections that will protect the oil filter and the clutch cover).

I'll cut holes to run along the frame tubes to lighten her up. That way I don't risk weakening the plate around the exposed casing. It's already pretty light.

The oke at Midas sold me the black paint used for fireplaces. It's supposed to be heat and scratch resistant. No primer required apparently

I'll let yer all know how it works out.

I know it looks kak at the moment - but it'll be perdy when I'm finished!

Will the wilddogs okes let me paint a white paw on the plate??

Hagar · « **Reply #23 on:** December 28, 2008, 04:39:31 pm »

Dr owners please help:

Got a Dr650 last week. When I got the bike it was lowered. Apparently not the "official" way. I checked the manual that I downloaded and it seems as though the position of the spacer at the shock (back) was not changed. It was lowered by backing down the pre- load completely, and the stanchions were sticking out through the clamps by 5cm. I have raised it again front and back. I am not sure that the front has not been lowered internally. According to the manual this is done by turning a spacer in the fork or something. How do I tell if the front has been lowered internally without taking it apart?
What is the standard length for the forks from the top to the bottom if not compressed? Please can somebody measure this.

Crossed-up · « **Reply #24 on:** December 28, 2008, 05:08:17 pm »

Quote from: Hagar on December 28, 2008, 04:39:31 pm

Dr owners please help:

Got a Dr650 last week. When I got the bike it was lowered. Apparently not the "official" way. I checked the manual that I downloaded and it seems as though the position of the spacer at the shock (back) was not changed. It was lowered by backing down the pre- load completely, and the stanchions were sticking out through the clamps by 5cm. I have raised it again front and back. I am not sure that the front has not been lowered internally. According to the manual this is done by turning a spacer in the fork or something. How do I tell if the front has been lowered internally without taking it apart?
What is the standard length for the forks from the top to the bottom if not compressed? Please can somebody measure this.

I'm going to take my newly acquired DR650 to LeCap to check out as soon as the silly season is over. There are few in the Western Cape who know as much about DR650s as he does. Look him up in the Vendor section.

Hagar · « **Reply #25 on:** December 28, 2008, 07:41:40 pm »

Crossed-up

Did you buy one of the 2 DR's this month in Gumtree?

IceCreamMan, I guess you know yours has not been lowered, please measure.

Hagar · « **Reply #26 on:** December 28, 2008, 07:59:49 pm »

I am tempted to import an IMS tank from just www.justgastanks.com. Has anyone done this? What would the duties be? Anybody know what local price would be on IMS tank? This would work out at R2900 (excluding duties??)

Crossed-up · « **Reply #27 on:** December 28, 2008, 09:35:55 pm »

Quote from: Hagar on December 28, 2008, 07:41:40 pm

Crossed-up

Did you buy one of the 2 DR's this month in Gumtree?

Yeah, I bought mine from 2 guys, Duane and Ian. They had bought LeCap's old DR but are now riding tar only and so had bought another street bike. I think Jurgen was quite please to hear a WD has his old bike.

IceCreamMan · « **Reply #28 on:** December 29, 2008, 08:07:53 am »

Quote from: Hagar on December 28, 2008, 07:41:40 pm

Crossed-up

Did you buy one of the 2 DR's this month in Gumtree?

IceCreamMan, I guess you know yours has not been lowered, please measure.

Will do so hagar ..i do think that seeing as the bike was lowered thru the forks the internals are prolly untouched...will confirm for you..at work will do so tonight.

Regarding the IMS tank , mine had a sticker price of 2500 when i bought my bike although i got the tank kinda thrown into the deal...

look locally if importing yrself is running at 3000 first ...

lecap · « **Reply #29 on:** December 29, 2008, 08:55:30 am »

Measure the fork leg from the upper end / top of the cap to centre of the front axle. In the "long" setting it is 895mm, in the "short" setting it is about 860mm.

You should be careful with just pushing the forks through the triple clamps. Opposed to moving the spacers "dropping" the front will reduce the clearance of the front wheel with fully compressed suspension. Depending on the tire used and depending on how far you push the tubes through you might lock your front wheel after the next jump

"Dropping" the long forks by up to 30mm is safe and actually the recommended (by me) lowering for very light riders. Short & heavy guys should rather use the official lowering method (moving a spacer from on top of fork spring to below the damper piston which reduces the suspension travel and increases the spring preload.

Re: The rear shock: The lower spring support has a slot. Have a close look there. If the spring support in its cross section looks like an inverted "U" it is in the high setting and the shock MUST be connected to the cushion lever in the corresponding high hole.
To lower the bike you have to remove the shock from the bike, turn out the spring preload and turn the lower spring support around. This reduces the maximum travel of the shock.
If you only change the connection of the rear shock to the cushion lever without modifying the shock itself the rear wheel can travel too far resulting in the brake caliper hitting the exhaust

or the rear wheel disassembling the bike's tail

Crossed Up's bike is lowered as specified by Suzuki.

For importing the tank expect to pay VAT and a handling fee. The handling fee depends a lot on the mood of some -censored- at customs as they move more and more to the practice to employ a clearing agent for stuff that could be cleared by the recepient in the past. If you can clear yourself it's R25 as far as I remember. Clearing agent is a few hundred Rand

A very worthwhile alternative to the IMS is the Clarke tank. 16l is sufficient for me, the tank is very well made, looks great and leaves access to plugs etc. It fits like a glove once you have sourced two longer bolts and two small pieces of 10x1.5 stainless steel hydraulic tube as spacers for the tank bolt rubbers.
Topbox can get you one for a good price.

Crossed-up · « **Reply #30 on:** December 29, 2008, 10:59:56 am »

I found my bike to be a little too low at the rear so I moved the shock mounting bolt to the lower hole. It is a little higher now. It feels better all round and doesn't bottom out over obstacles so easily. I hope this is in order.

IceCreamMan · « **Reply #31 on:** December 29, 2008, 01:50:14 pm »

Suzuki SA website has the DR650 at 67k now

LeCap did say he was told 62k recently ....

assuming the 67 is an error and the 62 k is correct ,that makes the bike a tad expensive i reckon. not sure suzuki are going to sell to many at 62 k considering the xt is 66k and the klr is 55k...

buzzlightyear · « **Reply #32 on:** December 29, 2008, 01:59:06 pm »

The DRZ400 is 61400, so the 650 must be 67 as they say.

Suzuki South lists the 650 at 58400, the DRZ price is 61400.

Disselboom · « **Reply #33 on:** December 29, 2008, 02:03:56 pm »

The next shipment of XT's will be more expensive, too. Yamaha have allready raised the price of their quads, bikes will follow soon.

Not worth trading in/buying now, old bike will have to last.

Hagar · « **Reply #34 on:** December 29, 2008, 04:04:05 pm »

Thank you for the help. My front shock has not been lowered. Nice to have an online fundi. I will look into tanks locally and see what is available. Cheers

jenks · « **Reply #35 on:** December 30, 2008, 06:16:11 am »

RE pricing

I noticed at the Motor Show at Nasrec that the prices had gone up on virtually all Zooks by around 20 percent

. The rand is not helping. I suspect the dr650's newfound popularity abroad (possibly driven by web forums like this and those on adv and thumpertalk) is also driving up sales and Zook is pushing up prices. Not clever as this model is 12 years old.

67 is way too much. If I was in the market now, I'd go for a second hand bimmer or KTM or a second hand dr650 (if you can find them - low mileage for around 45K)

lecap · « **Reply #36 on:** December 30, 2008, 08:00:29 am »

Quote from: Crossed-up on December 29, 2008, 10:59:56 am

I found my bike to be a little too low at the rear so I moved the shock mounting bolt to the lower hole. It is a little higher now. It feels better all round and doesn't bottom out over obstacles so easily. I hope this is in order.

You'll have to change the forks as well as the bike is riding "on its nose" with most likely reduced high speed stability. Also worthwhile to turn around the lower spring support as you're giving away suspension travel.

Quote from: Hagar on December 29, 2008, 04:04:05 pm

... I will look into tanks locally and see what is available. Cheers

Speak to Topbox re. the Clarke. Welcome to come and have a look at mine. Don't think anyone is carrying the generic DR plastic tanks on the shelf here in SA. (?)

jenks · « **Reply #37 on:** January 14, 2009, 11:03:41 am »

Back frame load capacity

The Xchallenge okes are busy discussing weight loads on the back of their bikes (for touring). I was wondering if anyone knows how much weight the dr can carry with a lightish home made rack fitted (about four kilos). The rack is positioned just behind the seat and reaches to the end of the brake light. It sits about two centimetres above the light:

Handling and structural strength issues are concerning me a little. But I have noticed the okes on advrider load up their bikes to the max, so maybe it isn't an issue. Any opinions??

I weigh about 70 kilos

Kykdaar · « **Reply #38 on:** January 14, 2009, 01:20:29 pm »

Not answering your question, but just want to know what tyres you
running? By the way - nice way to secure the bike, although the staffie should take care of any thieves

What is your consumption like. I did 362km's of mixed riding on 17.8 litres the other day which worked out to 20km/l. I think that is about right?

the_BOBNOB · « **Reply #39 on:** January 14, 2009, 01:29:42 pm »

Quote from: Kykdaar on January 14, 2009, 01:20:29 pm

Not answering your question, but just want to know what tyres you running?

that front tyre is a kenda 761 or something like that - i have one on my dakar has done 10000km with it no issues

best part was the price cost me a cool R285

Author Topic: The DR650 thread (Read 139716 times)

Disselboom